which to lose: me or the bike?
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Tri_it_out posted 45 weeks ago.
I think he just wanted to sell you an expensive bike. A bike is only as good as the person riding it. If you don't put in the time and do poorly in your race you likely won't look back upset that you didn't shave a few ounces off your bike. Good Luck.
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Triguy98 posted 45 weeks ago.
Light bikes are cool. You can lose the weight on yourself a lot easier and cheaper. Weight is weight. The only real exception to this is wheels. And that only matters on the hills.
Most bike workers i know are over weight. They spend too much time working in the shop to pay bills and dont get to ride. You have to be 100 pounds to be SPONSORED by them, tho :)
Life is short. Play hard and get dirty doing it.
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Merchant46 posted 45 weeks ago.
I think your instincts are right here Serial. A key reason losing body weight is preferable is it makes you faster on both the bike and the run. For all but the fastest among us, there are other, less expensive ways to make ourselves faster than owning the lightest bike components.
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silverchair posted 45 weeks ago.
reduce weight on rotating mass is the best saver (wheels, tires)
olympic 2:10 IM 10:20
24hr sprint tri 8.5k swim, 250k bike, 89k run, 27 laps
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gfd posted 45 weeks ago.
The $ spent on saving a few grams would be vital if you were trying to keep up with Contador on mile 120, in the Alps, on Day 17 of the TdF. I would focus more on my own bodyweight then paying a lot of extra $ to have a super light bike.
However, I would absolutely love to have one of I could afford it.
"If we help someone else up a steep hill, we get nearer to the top ourselves." ~Unknown~
~Garen~
http://baldhungariantriproject.blogspot.com/
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Socket posted 45 weeks ago.
You could drop 5 pounds off yourself, but where are you going to do that on the bike? 1 or 2 grams is worth spending money? NOT! Hooray for salesmen!
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TriSooner posted 45 weeks ago.
SerialKiller wrote:
i ask because when i was looking at the local bike store the guy, who had a gut by the way, was going on and on about how many grams this part was vs this part
"Danger, Will Robinson!"* TOOL ALERT! TOOL ALERT! Please, for the love of Madonna del Ghisallo, don't fall for this. This is the No. 1 way to rip off a noob. (And interestingly, weight snobs who talk about 'shaving off' bike weight but ignore the 'other' spare tire are the number 1 culprit perpetuating Eurotrash Lance wannabe stererotypes.)
*I don't know what that means. I just hear my Baby Boomer boss use it all the time.
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SueR posted 45 weeks ago.
Ra Ra Sooner! I can actually hear your little "pic-chick" doing your rants when you get on good like that! +1 to the weight loss thing. It's easier to make bigger gains on yourself. Isn't the stat something like 30sec/km gained per pound lost on a bike? It's substantial anyway. With tri though it's a balance because you still need the strength to swim and will carry more upper body muscle than the "eurotrash Lance wannabe stereotypes". Makes you better in a barfight too...
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fastdog5 posted 45 weeks ago.
SueR wrote:
Ra Ra Sooner! I can actually hear your little "pic-chick" doing your rants when you get on good like that! +1 to the weight loss thing. It's easier to make bigger gains on yourself. Isn't the stat something like 30sec/km gained per pound lost on a bike? It's substantial anyway. With tri though it's a balance because you still need the strength to swim and will carry more upper body muscle than the "eurotrash Lance wannabe stereotypes". Makes you better in a barfight too...
Gotta disagree a bit here on the swim comment. Swimming is mostly technique. I am twice as strong as a friend of mine who routinely kicks my a** in the swim leg.
(Fighting: Also technique; I assume that comment was tongue-in-cheek)
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watrbg2 posted 45 weeks ago.
"Danger, Will Robinson!"*
*I don't know what that means. I just hear my Baby Boomer boss use it all the time.
The Robot in the old telvision series "Lost In Space" said that.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lost_in_Space
I guess I'm showing my age...
'In a world that tries its hardest to separate us from what matters, the Ironman helps us to reconnect with the pulse of our lives." - Scott Tinley
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jnrice posted 45 weeks ago.
TriSooner wrote:
SerialKiller wrote:i ask because when i was looking at the local bike store the guy, who had a gut by the way, was going on and on about how many grams this part was vs this part"Danger, Will Robinson!"* TOOL ALERT! TOOL ALERT! Please, for the love of Madonna del Ghisallo, don't fall for this. This is the No. 1 way to rip off a noob. (And interestingly, weight snobs who talk about 'shaving off' bike weight but ignore the 'other' spare tire are the number 1 culprit perpetuating Eurotrash Lance wannabe stererotypes.)
*I don't know what that means. I just hear my Baby Boomer boss use it all the time.
Yep, behind you 100% on that one. The reason that you can get lighter bikes is because after a certain point the rider weight is almost a constant. Pro (for sure), semi-pro (probably), and tri-geek-fanatics (more than likely), have their "race wight" that they shoot for and tailor their diet to. At that point you can't loose weight because you'll start to break down your body so we make lighter bikes. losing a pound off the frame is exactly the same as a pound off of you (not true about wheels though). However, weight is typically of secondary importance to tri-people.
Aerodynamics is much more important if you're looking to go fast. Think about this, TT bikes are in general heavier than road bikes at similar price tags. Why? Because at the same component level it's more important to make the bike aero than it is to make the bike light. check it out, more material to make the tear drop shape than a round tube, more material to contour the seat tube around the wheel. Don't listen to the "tool" at the LBS and don't worry about adding 1.32g to your bike if it's going to save you $500 and let you pay rent. In fact, take that $500, pay rent, and then go get a beer with your friends. If you're looking to win the Kona IM this year then maybe 1.32g is a big deal, who knows. All I know is that it feels good to pass very light bikes on my reasonable bike when I'm out riding.
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RunMDC posted 45 weeks ago.
Look at it this way. 1 gram = .0022 pounds = .03 ounces. So you can save more by emptying you bladder before getting on the bike. Or you could put one less drop of water in your water bottle. If you were able to save a few hundred grams I would start thinking seriously but less than 1/2 a pound and you probably sweat that out every time you get on the bike.
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cutiger95 posted 45 weeks ago.
Danger Will Robinson and someone doesn't understand it. I am feeling mighty old now.
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kylie posted 45 weeks ago.
I didn't get it either... but I've also heard it, and wouldn't have really thought about where it was from except it was asked.
Miles of Life --- Powered by MarkyV
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SerialKiller posted 45 weeks ago.
seven minutes of standing will burn one gram of fat.
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jtrimom posted 45 weeks ago.
cutiger95 wrote:
Danger Will Robinson and someone doesn't understand it. I am feeling mighty old now.
never heard it so I obviously didn't get it
Taper Naked
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watrbg2 posted 45 weeks ago.
jtrimom wrote:
cutiger95 wrote:Danger Will Robinson and someone doesn't understand it. I am feeling mighty old now.
never heard it so I obviously didn't get it
I pretty sure "Lost in Space" was in black&white, or maybe it was the black&white tv...
Oh geez, am I old...
'In a world that tries its hardest to separate us from what matters, the Ironman helps us to reconnect with the pulse of our lives." - Scott Tinley
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jsk85 posted 45 weeks ago.
They made a movie version of it in the 90s. C'mon people, I'm 23 and know that quote. Maybe I should feel ashamed of this, I thought it was pretty mainstream.
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kylie posted 45 weeks ago.
jsk85 wrote:
They made a movie version of it in the 90s. C'mon people, I'm 23 and know that quote. Maybe I should feel ashamed of this, I thought it was pretty mainstream.
I knew the quote, just not the roots ;)
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gfd posted 45 weeks ago.
I loved the show as a kid. It was on in the afternoons after school. So was The Monkeys. Classic.
"If we help someone else up a steep hill, we get nearer to the top ourselves." ~Unknown~
~Garen~
http://baldhungariantriproject.blogspot.com/
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Socket posted 45 weeks ago.
C'mon, at 27 I've watched the original show, along with The Monkeys.
Now, just to drop 10 lbs off the bike's engine before my first race...
pound for pound does it make more a difference to lose an ounce off you or your bike?
i ask because when i was looking at the local bike store the guy, who had a gut by the way (i thought you had to weigh under a 100 pounds to work at those places, who knew?), was going on and on about how many grams this part was vs this part (which got me think (well other than how did i get trapped in this conversation when all i wanted was how much would it be to put street tires on my mtb) he is saying that one or two grams is a reason to spend more money, but he could lose a gram of fat by standing an extra 7 minutes everyday (based on 2 cals per min standing vs 1 cal for siting)) is having a lite bike a magic bullet?
does it really make that much of a difference? to a world record maybe but for the average joe tri-pack?